The Wikipedia Usability Initiative

June 15, 2009

One of the most annoying things about being a UX consultant is the all NDAs you have to sign – you don’t get to talk to people about the research you’ve been doing or get to show people your deliverables. This also means it’s hard for newcomers to learn about real life research. Some organisations, though, openly share their work, warts and all. They deserve a lot of respect for having the guts to do this. Wikipedia’s New Usability Initiative is a great example:

If you’ve never seen the ins and outs of a real life UX research project, check out this report. They’ve even included some highlight videos from the sessions. It’s a bit dry, but it’s a nice case study for newcomers to the field. They’re also inviting input from the community, in a similar way to Leisa Reichelt et al’s activities for Drupal. Good stuff!